Inheriting depression is a myth

Although many people place the blame on our genes when it comes to depression, according to research it is highly unlikely that this is the case.

With the coldest, darkest months upon us, debts from Christmas and the prospect of returning to work it is easy to see why this is such a depressing part of the year.

For many years people have believed that the cause of their depression could be because they have genetically inherited it. However, an exciting development last year sparked a theory for scientists that genes play little or no role in depression.

The Human Genome Project, which is responsible for mapping all our DNA, has not reliably identified a single example of a gene for any mental illness.

Gene researchers have now reached the conclusion that it is highly unlikely they will ever discover individual genes for individual mental illnesses.

It is certainly welcome news that our genes are not the cause of our depression and people who believe this are much more likely to recover.